Images(6)

Pocketbook

DateMid 18th century

OriginAmerica or England

MediumWool

DimensionsOH: 6 1/4"; OW: 7 5/8"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1950-256

DescriptionWool embroidery envelope pocketbook, with flame stitch embroidery in shades of red, brown, blue, violet; brown wool tape binding and tie-strings; magenta glazed wool lining.

Construction History:

1. Mid-18th Century: Initial Construction
2. June 2, 1954: Cleaning, repairing, restoring by Ernest LoNano for the Margaret Hunter Shop
Label TextStitched in Time:
Needlework pocketbooks, common accessories in the mid-18th century, were owned by both men and women. Like wallets today, they were used to store money and papers. Personalization in the form of initials, owners' names, and the names of makers are frequently noted in lost and found notices for pocketbooks.

While some pocketbooks were made of leather or silk, many were worked. Irish stitch, sometimes modernly called flame stitch, was the favored method of decoration. The stitch is characterized by zig-zag slopes and vibrant use of color. In the 18th century, Irish stitch was popular for accessories, like pocketbooks and shoes, as well as upholstery.
MarkingsNone
ProvenanceAvis and Rockwell Gardiner (Stamford, CT); 1950-present, purchased by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)